Less than one week after he was signed by the Los Angeles Lakers for their remaining two games of the season, Andre Ingram found himself crossing over to Major League Baseball. He was invited by the Dodgers to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium on Friday night.
He joined head coach Luke Walton, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Metta World Peace, among others, as Lakers who have held such an honor. Prior to Ingram, Walton was was the most-recent to do so, when he toed the rubber last July.
Ingram said he didn’t have much experience in throwing a baseball. The closest he’d come to it before Friday was tossing a tennis ball around in the backyard. That’s understandable when considering the 32-year-old spent 10 years toiling in the NBA’s developmental league.
Despite a lack of experience, Ingram had a relatively smooth and effortless wind up that led to a floater of a pass, er, pitch, to Dodgers catcher Kyle Farmer.
After throwing the first pitch, Ingram, his wife and their two daughters gathered behind home plate to announce retired broadcaster Vin Scully’s famous saying of, ‘It’s time for Dodger baseball.’
While more celebrity-type opportunities might lie ahead for Ingram, his focus is on getting back in the gym to build on the momentum and exposure gained. Ingram is hopeful for an extended look in the NBA, specifically with the Lakers.
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